New Jersey Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe has been fined $25,000 for ‘unprofessional conduct directed at the officials’ during Sunday’s game against the Vegas Golden Knights.
Keefe unloaded on the officials after a collision sent forward Jack Hughes crashing awkwardly into the boards. Hughes left the game with an injury; there was no penalty called on the play.
Once Keefe shared his thoughts with referees Wes McCauley and T.J. Luxmore, he was issued a bench minor for unsportsmanlike conduct, along with a game misconduct.
“I get kicked off the bench for telling the referee I felt that it was 10 times worse than the [penalty] that was previously called on Jack,” Keefe said after the game. “It’s tough to see, especially with it being a play that [Hughes] got called on earlier in the period. Not only does he get injured on the play, but there is no call.”
Hughes, who leads the Devils in scoring with 27 goals and 70 points, required season-ending surgery.
This is not Keefe’s first fine for mouthing off to the stripes, and not the first time McCauley has tossed him from the game. He was fined $25,000 back in 2022, then behind the Maple Leafs’ bench, for an outburst directed towards refs Wes McCauley and Brian Pochmara.
He picked up another $25k fine last season for blasting the officials during a loss to the Vegas Golden Knights.
